By Your Side
by wild-angel82
Summary: Kind of an alternative ending to episode 1.15. LoVe.


Veronica couldn't stand to see him like this. The fact that he got drunk and was parading all over Neptune High without his pants (even if it was just a costume) was clear evidence that he was hurting. He might not have been her favorite person in the world, but recently something started changing between them and she really hated to see him like this. She wanted to take care of him, but since Trina has come, she felt like there was no need.

"My first night back home and I get the call, come get Logan, he's wasted. It's like I never left." Trina said with a smirk on her face. "Is that Kajagoogoo?"

"There's no point you going in there, Trina. Entertainment Tonight is not covering it." he replied sarcastically.

"Bummer. Well I guess I'll just drag your sorry little self home."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." he had no intention of going with her after everything that she had done. And he couldn't forgive her for not being there when Lynn died.

"Stop being an ass Logan and come on!" Trina was getting impatient, but Logan didn't look like he was going to give up.

"I said I'm not going anywhere with you. And now leave me alone!" he shouted and turned back from her.

"Damn it, Logan, I swear..."

"It's OK Trina." Veronica interrupted her. "I'll take are of him. Just go back home and tell your dad that Logan is safe, alright?"

"Sure, if you wanna be stuck with him, be my guest." Trina laughed.

"I'll be fine." Veronica replied and watched Trina leave the school. Then she went over to Logan and gently touched his arm. "Hey, come on, let's get you home."

"But I don't wana go home. I wanna stay here. It's a dance and so I wanna dance." he said and started showing off some of his moves. Veronica couldn't help but smile. For a moment she thought that there was something really adorable about dancing Logan, but she promised Trina that she would get him home and that's what she was going to do.

"You'll dance some other time. There will be plenty of occasions." she said as she started leading him towards the exit. "And now please just be a good boy and come with me."

"Me a good boy? Never!" he laughed.

"Well then be a bad boy, whatever, just please come with me." she grabbed his arm tight and literally dragged him out of school. She lead him to her car and told him to lean on it. The task turned out to be almost impossible for him.

She opened her purse to look for the keys. When she did find then, she realized Logan was staring at her.

"Now what?" she asked impatiently.

"Nothing, just..." he started and then started laughing histerically.

"What?"

"Nice hair-do." he said still laughing. "And a killer outfit."

"Save it." she wanted to sound mad, but she was rather amused by his comments. She knew she looked strange and it would have been weird if he hadn't noticed. She smiled weakly and opened the car. She put him in the passanger's seat and got into the car herself.

"Niiiice car." Logan started examining every spot around his seat.

"School dances are so much fun." she said kind of to herself, but hoping he heard her. He didn't say anything and just kept looking around the car. Veronica started the engine and watched Logan struggle to stay put on the seat.

"Easy! You're trying to kill me or what?"

"What if I am?" she said with a laugh as they were driving away from school.

"Cool." he replied and rested his head on the back of the seat. She couldn't believe how wasted he was. But considering the circumstances she kind of understood him. Not the best way to deal with problems though.

For a moment they drove in silence and finally he spoke again. "I love your new do."

"You already said that." she laughed. She thought to herself that he was even kind of cute when he was drunk. And funny.

"I did?" he really didn't seem to remember. "Oh, well..." he started, but didn't finish as he looked at her very seriously. "Veronica."

"Yes?"

"I think I'm going to puke."

"Don't you dare!" she sounded mad, but at the same time she knew that her words were not going to stop him anyway. She just hoped he was kidding. "We'll be home in just a few minutes, so please don't do anything stupid until then."

"I'll try, but I can't promise anything." he said and started pretending like he was going to puke just to stop at the last possible moment. He knew this was going to make her mad and that was his intention.

"You stop that right now, or I'll throw you out of my car!" she threatened, but he knew she wasn't serious.

"Looks like you are trying to kill me after all." he said and winked at her. She couldn't help but wonder how he could be so broken and making jokes at the same time. But she never really understood Logan Echolls.

When she parked at the Echolls driveway, she had no idea that this was not the end of her late night adventure with Logan.

She got out of the car and went to open the door for him. "Come on, get out." she ordered and grabbed him by the hand. "Come on. The journey stops here." she helped him out and pointed in the direction of his house. "You see that big house over there? It's yours. Now can you please just go there. You can do that, can't you?" she pleaded.

"I'm not really sure." he answered, partly to tease her and partly because he really wasn't sure. "I think I might need some assistance."

"Logan!" she seemed a bit annoyed, but at the same time certainly amused by his game.

"You don't want me to get lost and wake up in the bushes somewhere now do you?"

"And here I was thinking you were a big boy. Apparently I was wrong." she smiled meaningfully at him.

"Apparently." he smiled as he realized she started to walk him home. When they got to the door she wanted to ring the bell, but he stopped her. "No, I don't want to wake them up."

"But you're not capable of getting to your room not waking them up."

"And that is why I have you." he smirked.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Do I look like I was?" he replied and she thought that he definitely wasn't kidding. He needed help getting to his room or who knows where he might end up. She opened the door and lead him into his room as quietly as possible. He slouched onto the bed and sighed deeply. "Home sweet home."

"Looks like it." she sighed and looked at him with a little compassion. "So I guess I should get going. You're safe and sound and I don't think you need me here."

She headed towards the exit, but stopped when she heard his voice.

"Thanks for saving me from Trina."

"I didn't know you needed to be saved from her." Veronica turned around and saw how serious Logan was now.

"She was good, you know?" he said with his voice breaking.

"Who?" Veronica got lost, he didn't seem to be talking about Trina.

"My mom." Of course he meant his mom, she thought. "She wasn't perfect, but she loved me." he continued. "And she loved Trina, regardless of what my stupid sister says."

Veronica didn't know what to do. Should she just leave him or should she stay? It's not like they were best friends or anything, but something was telling her that he wanted her there. For some strange reason she felt like she was the one he wanted to talk to.

"I know she did." Veronica replied and sat on the floor, leaning against Logan's bed. "You wanna talk about it?"

"I just can't believe she's gone, you know? I can't believe she left us." he went on, his voice still shaking. "I know we were not the perfect family, but how could she just leave us? How could she?"

"Shhhh." she whispered as she took his hand in hers, without even looking at him. She caressed him, not even sure why she was doing it. She had no idea what he would think or do, but she didn't really care. She just wanted to do something to help him get through this. And she didn't even know why she cared so much, she only knew she wanted him to stop hurting.

"Veronica..." he whispered quietly, as if scared she was going to run away if he spoke.

"Yeah?"

"Please don't go yet."

His plea almost broke her heart. Now she knew she couldn't just leave him. She knew there was a reason she was there, whatever that reason was.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." she said and rose from the ground. She now sat on the bed, looking straight at Logan's face. His eyes were closed. He didn't have to look at her, it was enough that he felt her presence.

She leaned over him and kissed his forehead. "It's going to be OK." she whispered as she lied on the other side of the bed. "Just try to go to sleep, it's been a long day." She sighed and once again looked at him. And then she realized she was lying in Logan Echolls' bed.

Life sure is crazy, she thought to herself and took out her cellphone. She needed to call her dad, but she wasn't sure she should mention where she was...

THE END


End file.
